Islamic State

ADF STAFF Since deploying in 2021, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) has helped reduce the presence of Islamic State-affiliated terrorists in the Cabo Delgado province from several thousand to…

ADF STAFF Joint security forces in northern Mozambique continued their seek-and-destroy operations against Islamic State-Mozambique (ISM) after the terror group launched another foray into the Nampula Province in April. “Insurgents…

ADF STAFF The United States and Niger are continuing negotiations for the withdrawal of approximately 1,000 U.S. troops located at two air bases in the Sahelian nation. After announcing at the end of April the intention to withdraw all…

ADF STAFF Extremists linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province are notorious for raiding and torching entire towns, beheading civilians and attacking security forces. However, IS-linked groups are…

ADF STAFF The W National Park is an 8,000-square-kilometer nature preserve that straddles the borders of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. It is home to an abundance of wildlife, including aardvark, baboon, endangered cheetah, African bush…

ADF STAFF Rwanda has pledged to send more troops to Mozambique’s embattled Cabo Delgado province where terrorists have unleashed a fresh wave of attacks in recent months after suffering military losses to international forces. The…

ADF STAFF Since Burkina Faso’s ruling junta came to power in September 2022, the leadership increasingly has relied on the poorly trained and lightly armed Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) to serve as front-line forces to…

ADF STAFF Since the notorious Russian mercenary outfit formerly known as the Wagner Group began reorganizing under the control of the Russian Defense Ministry in 2023, controlling gold mining sites in Mali has been a priority. Russian…

ADF STAFF The Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) has in the last year gained significant territory from a rival group in Mali, increased religious tax collections known as zakat, and expanded recruitment efforts throughout the Sahel.…

ADF STAFF Civilians in the Sahel’s tri-border region are caught in the crosshairs of violence perpetrated by rival terrorist groups. Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which is affiliated with al-Qaida, and the Islamic State…